How Well Do You Know These Common Medical Conditions and Their Names?
This syndrome leads to developmental delays and distinct physical features, named after the doctor who identified it in the 1860s. What is the name of this chromosomal condition?
Correct Incorrect Down syndrome was named after British doctor John Langdon Down, who first described the condition in 1862. In his 1866 paper, Down identified a group of children with intellectual disabilities who shared physical characteristics. At the time, Down used the term "mongoloid," following a racial classification system popular then, without realizing its controversial implications. In 1959, French geneticist Jérôme Lejeune discovered the condition was caused by an extra 21st chromosome. By 1961, scientists petitioned to abandon the term "mongolism," and The Lancet supported the use of "Down syndrome." Today, "mongolism" is rarely used, with "Down syndrome" or "trisomy 21" being the accepted terms.